DB class 210

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DB class 210
DB 210 + 210.JPG
Numbering: 210 001-008
Number: 8th
Manufacturer: Croup
Year of construction (s): 1970-1971
Retirement: 1981 (renovation); 2004
Axis formula : B'B '
Gauge : 1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Length over buffers: 16,400 mm
Trunnion Distance: 8600 mm
Bogie axle base: 2800 mm
Total wheelbase: 11,400 mm
Service mass: 82 t
Wheel set mass : 20.5 t
Top speed: 160 km / h
Continuous output : 1839 kW / 2500 PS
main diesel with
an additional
845 kW / 1150 PS
turbine
Starting tractive effort: 235 kN
Driving wheel diameter: 1000 mm
Motor type: MTU 12V 956 TB 10
turbine:
AVCO Lycoming T53 -L 13
Motor type: 1 V12-cylinder diesel
1 gas turbine as additional drive
Rated speed: 1500 rpm
Power transmission: hydraulic
Tank capacity: 3690 l
Locomotive brake: hydrodynamic brake
Train heating: electric

The class 210 of the Deutsche Bundesbahn , DB for short, consisted of a series of eight diesel locomotives . Their special feature was that they had a gas turbine that was switched on when power was required. This made them the most powerful German four-axle diesel locomotives of their time.

Gas turbines at the DB

In 1950 the DB also tested the Am 4/6 1101 of the Swiss Federal Railways . This locomotive was powered by a gas turbine, the power of which was transmitted electrically. Due to the higher fuel consumption compared to the DB series V 200.0 , it turned out to be uneconomical. After this test, the DB abandoned diesel locomotives with gas turbines as the main drive.

The first class V 160 locomotives were put into service in the 1960s . These were originally intended for medium-duty service. For more demanding applications such as high-quality and heavy passenger train service on the non-electrified and winding route from Munich to Lindau , the DB has been thinking about increasing the performance of these locomotives. For this reason, the concept, which was very promising at the time, was to reinforce the single-engine locomotives of the V 160 series with a gas turbine. This was relatively easy to implement since a gas turbine takes up comparatively little space. The aim was to counter the high fuel consumption by connecting the turbine to the diesel engine only when needed , so that it can only be used in the economical full-load range . This was the case when accelerating from speeds of 25 km / h and when climbing inclines . The hydraulic gear was provided with an additional shaft for the turbine on the drive side .

This additional drive was successfully tested from 1966 on the V 169 001 locomotive , which was given the EDP-compatible designation 219 001 from 1968. However, the DB decided that the successor series of this locomotive should be equipped with a more powerful AVCO Lycoming T53-L13 gas turbine . The planned turbine was already used in the Bell UH-1 D helicopter , which u. A. was used in the Bundeswehr . The Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz plant in the former engine factory in Oberursel , now Rolls-Royce Germany , manufactured them for the German armed forces under license and was able to maintain the turbines and repair them in the event of major damage. From 1970 this unit was used in the 210 series.

technical structure

The 210 series was technically largely identical to the 218 series . They had the same twelve-cylinder - V-engine manufacturer MTU type MA 12 V 956 TB 10 as a main diesel, had the same electrical Zugversorgung and over approximately the same chassis. However, it was designed for a top speed of 160 km / h and therefore had to be equipped with an additional hydrodynamic brake . In comparison to the 218 series, reinforced cardan shafts from the fluid transmission to the axle drives and a reinforced block brake were installed for the same reason .

The gas turbine delivered its power at a speed of 19,250 / min. This required a reduction gear that reduced the speed to 6000 rpm.

As with the 219 001, the main diesel and the gas turbine were connected to the fluid transmission with two independent drive shafts, which acted on two different pump wheels for the oil pressure. The turbine was throttled to 845 kilowatts in order to protect it during operation. Like the engine, it ran on diesel fuel . It was either running at full speed, switched off or idling . The main diesel covered the remaining power range. The exhaust gases from the turbine were discharged through a chimney-like exhaust shaft on the roof of the locomotive. This exhaust was the visually striking differentiator to the other locomotives of the V-160 family.

business

In the relation München-Lindau employed 210,002 in Bahnbetriebswerk Lindau (1974)

Since the 219 001 already provided sufficient information about the operation of the gas turbine, the 210 series could soon be put into service after its acceptance at the end of 1970 / beginning of 1971. In late 1971 the disposal Bw Kempten on all eight locomotives and put them in the scheduled operation. This included all the top performances required on the Allgäu Railway , such as the TEE Bavaria and heavy express trains on the Zurich - Munich route , which were carried by the 210 series from and to Lindau . In the early years, the locomotives fulfilled the expectations placed on them. However, the heating output was weak in winter, so that the 210 was then often used in double traction with a 218 on long trains in order to be able to heat the cars sufficiently.

The Kempten depot received a small special workshop for the maintenance of the gas turbines. The staff was trained for the maintenance of the turbines from Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz . If major repairs were necessary, the turbine was removed from the affected locomotive and sent to the manufacturer in a special container. So that no locomotive failed in operation, the Federal Railroad kept ten gas turbines in stock for the eight locomotives, so that in such a case a replacement turbine could be installed. Such a turbine replacement took six hours on the 210.

At first the gas turbines worked satisfactorily. Only on March 24, 1978 was there a total failure of a gas turbine in operation: The 210 003 was driving under full load with the D 1512 at Kempten (Allgäu) Ost station when a turbine wheel broke. The DB initially shut down all gas turbines and had them examined. Some impellers were found showing signs of fatigue and were replaced. Then all the locomotives returned to operation with gas turbines, the last one on October 13, 1978, the 210 008. It was the same locomotive that broke a compressor impeller shortly afterwards on December 31, 1978 while passing through Eichenau and this time in the turbine room Locomotive caught fire because of a broken fuel line . Although this was quickly extinguished by the fire brigade in Fürstenfeldbruck station and the locomotive was spared serious damage, the DB then had to shut down the gas turbines again.

The subsequent examination of the turbines revealed that they were restarted too often in rail operations to boost the main diesel, which significantly shortened their service life. The turbines would have withstood continuous operation in a helicopter longer. The effort that was now necessary, such as more frequent maintenance, repair and replacement of the turbines, drove up the costs to such an extent that the profitability was lost. The fuel consumption of the turbine was higher than that of a corresponding diesel engine anyway.

Conversion to the 218.9 series

As a consequence, the DB had the gas turbines removed and the locomotives converted into the 218.9 series. The characteristic exhaust on the roof of the locomotive was removed, as well as the silencer and the control for the turbine. On the left-hand side of the locomotive, the two fan grilles closest to driver's cab 2 in the anthracite-colored fan band have been replaced by windows. As part of this conversion, all locomotives with the exception of the 210 004 were repainted in the ocean blue / beige color scheme that was valid at the time. 210 004 was the only locomotive that received this color scheme before it was redesignated as BR 218.9 as part of its revision in July 1979. The hydraulic transmission was also changed. Ballast weights were installed to compensate for the weight. The top speed of the former 210 series was reduced to 140 km / h. The locomotives were thus largely aligned with the 218 series. The exact description of the 210 series is given in the table. From then on, the heavy passenger trains of the Allgäu Railway were transported with two class 218 locomotives each.

date number
February 8, 1980 218 907
June 1, 1980 218 903
2nd October 1980 218 905
3rd December 1980 218 906
18th February 1981 218 901
February 24, 1981 218 902
April 22, 1981 218 908
July 22, 1981 218 904

Operation as a class 218.9

The converted former gas turbine locomotives initially stayed at the Kempten depot and were used like the other class 218 locomotives. In 1983 the locomotives came to the Braunschweig depot , and from 2001 to Stendal . Between 2004 and 2006, all class 218.9 locomotives were retired and later scrapped.

DB class 210.4

Deutsche Bahn converted twelve locomotives of the 218 series to a top speed of 160 km / h and renamed them as 210.4 series between September 1996 and January 1, 1999 . This was evidently based on the former gas turbine locomotives that originally had a speed of 160 km / h. The conversion was necessary because the InterCity connection from Hamburg to Berlin was to be accelerated in 1996 and the route was not fully electrified .

literature

Web links

Commons : DB Class 210  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files